Broom-corn breaker and tabler.



No. 890,386. PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908. W. E. WELGH.

BROOM CORN BREAKER AND TABLER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4. 1907.

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No. 890,386. PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908. w. E. WELGH.

BROOM CORN BREAKER AND TABLER.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 4.1907. QSHEETSMSHEET 2.

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- PATENTED JUNE 9 1908; W. E. WBLGH.

BROOM CORN BREAKER AND TABLER. APPLICATION nnpn JUNE 4. 1907.

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WILLIAM E. WELOH, OF MAITOON, ILLINOIS.

BROOM-CORN BREAKER AND TABLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Application filed. June 4, 1907. Serial No. 377,231.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM E. WELOH, citizen of the United States, residing at Mattoon, in the county of Coles and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Broom-Corn Breakers and Tablers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to broom corn breakers and tabl'ers and it has for its general object to provide a simple, compact and durable machine adapted to be drawn be tween rows of broom-corn, and embodying means for separating rows of broom-corn as the machine advances between the same, means for breaking the broom-corn stalks of the rows at aproper height above the ground, say three feet, and tabling the stalks,means for gathering or catching the broomcorn stalks and bending the same around into posi tions that assure the stalks being easily engaged and broken by the breaking means and for releasing the stalks at the proper times, means for guiding the separated rows of stalks and retaining the same in positions to enable the gathering means to engage the stalks to the best advantage, means for holding the rows of broom-corn stalks next to the rows at opposite sides of the moving machine away from and out of the reach of the gathering means, and means for preventing the broom-corn stalks reaching and wrapping around the working parts of the machine and for assuring the stalks being properly laid upon a table in rear of the machine.

The present and preferred embodiment of my invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine with the forward portions of the shafts thereof broken away. Fig. 2 is a full rear elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine with the forward portions of the shafts broken away, and: Figs. 4 and 5 are a detail side elevation and a detail plan view, respectively, illustrative of the means hereinafter specifically described for disengaging the arms of the gathering means from the broom-corn stalks at the proper times to assure the said stalks being broken to the best advantage.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings, referring to which:

A is the main frame of the machine which may be of the construction illustrated or of any other construction compatible with the purposes of my invention without involving departure from the scope of the same. The said main frame is arranged on a shaft or axle B, journaled in bearings a at the bottom thereof and carrying wheels b; and it is provided with shafts c and a swingletree (Z. These are for the connection to the machine of a draft animal, and in addition to this draft animal another draft animal is hitched to the forward ends of the shafts tandem fashion; the two animals being guided and driven between adjacent rows of broom-corn stalks by the driver who sits in the seat C arranged on and connected to the lower, forward portion of the main frame A as .best shown in Figs. 1 and 3. At its rear end the main frame A is provided with a leg D, Fig. 1, on which it is designed to rest when the machine is not in use. This leg D is so arranged, relative to the other parts of the machine, as to assume the position shown in Fig. 1 when the machine is in use, in which position it obviously rests clear of the ground and hence does not retard the machine or increase the draft thereof.

Loosely mounted on the shaft or axle B is a sprocket gear E which is provided at one side with a clutch member c. This clutch member 6 is opposed to a complementary clutch member f keyed on the shaft or axle B and connected with a hand lever g standing within convenient reach of the driver on the seat 0, and hence it will be apparent that when desired the driver is enabled to readily disengage the clutch member f from the clutch member e and in that way render the sprocket gear E loose on the shaft or axle B for the purpose of stopping the hereinafter described stalk breaking and tabling means of the machine.

F is a crosswise horizontal shalt journaled in suitable bearings on the main frame A at about the proportional distance shown above the shaft or axle B. This shaft F is provided at its ends with miter gears h and at its middle with a comparatively small sprocket gear k; the latter being connected with the sprocket gear E through the medium of a sprocket belt Z which is, as shown in Fig. 1, arranged in engagement with a belt tightener m of the conventional or any other approved construction.

Intermeshed with the miter gears 71 on shaft F are miter gears n on upright shafts G which are journaled in suitable bearings on the main frame A and are provided at their upper ends with sprocket gears 79. These latter are connected through sprocket belts r with sprocket gears s on upright shafts H also journaled in suitable bearings on the main frame A. From this it follows that when the machine is in motion and the sprocket gear D is fixed with respect to the shaft or axle B, the upright shafts G and H at opposite sides of the machine will be caused to rotate with the said shaft or axle B and in the directions indicated by arrows in Fig. 3t'. 0., outward and rearward.

I, I, are arms fixed to and extending laterally and rearwardly from opposite sides of the main frame A, and J, J, are horizontally disposed wheels fixed on the upright shafts G andv having for their function to break broom-corn stalks against the arms I. The said wheels J respectively comprise eight (more or less) radial arms 25, designed to engage the broom-corn stalks, and they are relatively arranged as shown in Fig. 3 so that each radial arm of one fits between two of the radial arms of the other. This arrangement obviously permits of the wheels J being arranged close together without liability of one interfering with the other, and in that way contributes materially to the compactness of the machine as a whole.

K, K are broom corn stalk gathering de vices which are arranged in horizontal planes above the breaking wheels J as shown. These gathering devices comprise rims a surrounding and connected by spokes o to the upright shafts H, bars to extending between and connected to the spokes '0, rock shafts a; journaled in the rims u and bars w and having arms y at their outer ends and also having triangular trip-pieces 2' adjacent to their inner ends, fixed tracks (13, connected with the main frame A and arranged to be engaged by the triangular pieces 2 and when so engaged to hold the rock shafts :1; against turning, and fixed bars 11 also connected to the main frame A and arranged to engage the trip pieces 2 at the proper times to release the broom-corn stalks from the arms y at the outer ends of the shafts 90. It will be gathered from the foregoing that the arms y which are located about six feet above the ground will catch the broom corn stalks as the wheels in which the arms are mounted rotate, and will bend the stalks around into such positions that the stalks will be engaged by the arms t of the wheels J and will be broken by said arms t against the arms I on the main frame A. The tracks a engaging the triangular trip-pieces 2 on the rock-shafts :1; hold the said shafts against turning and the arms y against swinging until the stalks are properly engaged by the arms t of the wheels J, and then the trip-pieces 2 pass off the tracks a and engage the fixed bars 5 when the rock-shafts 96 will be turned and the arms y will be swung through about one-fourth of a circle so as to assure the disengagement of said arms from the gathered stalks. Then as the'wheels carrying the rock-shafts 00 continue to turn, the trip-pieces on said shafts engage the tracks a and are by the same moved into and retained in positions to enable their arms y to properly engage other broom-corn stalks incident to the progress of the machine between the adjacent rows of broom-corn stalks.

For the purpose of guiding the rows of broom-corn stalks and holding the same in position to assure the stalks being properly engaged by the arms y of the stalk-gathering devices K, I provide the arched guiderods L fixed to and extending upwardly and laterally from opposite sides of the front portion of the main frame A. Connected to the inner upright portions of the rods L at a suitable height is a horizontally-disposed V-shaped row-separator M which, as its name implies, has for its olfice to move between and divide or separate adjacent rows of broom-corn stalks as the machine moves between said rows. At the outer ends of the arched guide rods L are straight rods N and bent or deflected rods P. The straight rods N extend backward, downward, and slightly inward from the lower outer ends of the arched rods L, and hence are enabled to guide the corn in and towards the gathering devices L, while the rods P extend backward from tl1e,lower, outer ends of the guide-rods L and then laterally outward, Fig. 3, this to enable the said rods P to hold the stalks of broom-corn in the next adjoining rows of broom-corn out of the reach of the gathering devices K. From this it follows that the arms y of the gather ing devices K will engage and draw the broom-corn stalks in the rows adjacent to the machine in toward the machine, while the broom-corn stalks in the next outer rows will be deflected outward and out of the way of the said arms y of the gathering de vices K.

R, R, are curved side rods arranged above the wheels J and designed to prevent the broom-corn stalks from wrapping and also designed to hold said stalks in the proper position to be broken by the radial arms t of said wheels J. The end portions of these rods R are adjustably connected to the frame A, as indicated by e in Fig. 2, and hence it will be apparent that the rods may be fixed at various heights to best suit. the machine to the height of the broom-corn stalks to be broken.

When desirable it is obvious that the broom-corn stalk gathering devices K may be adjustably mounted so that they may be adjusted or moved upward or downward and backward or forward as occasion demands, without involving departure from the scope of my invention.

As will be gathered from the foregoing, my novel machine is calculated when operated in the manner described to break broom-corn stalks at the proper height from the ground and lay the stalks in the rear of the machine, and this in such position that the heads of the stalks may be expeditiously and easily cut subsequent to the passage of the machine.

I would have it understood that while the construction herein shown and described in detail constitutes the preferred embodiment of my invention, yet in practice various changes in the form, construction and relative arrangement of parts may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without involving departure from the spirit of my invention.

Havin described my invention, what I claim anc desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. The combination in a broom corn breaker and tabler, of a main frame, rotary breaking means mounted at opposite sides of the main frame, and rotary stalk gathering devices also arranged at opposite sides of the main frame and disposed above the breaking means.

2. The combination in a broom corn breaker and tabler, of breaking means, means for gathering broom-corn stalks into position to be engaged by the breaking means, means for guiding rows of broom-corn stalks to the gathering means, and means for holding the next outer rows of broom corn stalks out of the reach of the gathering means.

3. The combination in a broom corn breaker and tabler, of breaking means, means for gathering broom-corn stalks into position to be engaged by the breaking means, means for guiding rows of broom-corn stalks to the gathering means, means for holding the next outer rows of broom-corn stalks out of the reach of the gathering means, and means for separating rows of broom-corn stalks as the machine progresses between the same.

4. In a broom-corn breaker and tabler, the combination of a main frame having arms at its sides, wheels for breaking broom-corn stalks a ainst said arms, rotary devices arranged a ove the wheels for gathering broom corn stalks to the wheels, arched guides connected to and arran ed at opposite sides of the main frame, rocIs carried by the outer portions of said arched guides and arranged to deflect broom corn stalks in toward the rotary gathering devices, and rods also carried by the outer ortions of the arched guides and arrange to hold outer rows of broom-corn stalks out of the reach of the rotary gathering devices.

5. In a broom-corn breaker and tabler, the combination of a main frame having arms at its sides, wheels for breaking broomcorn stalks against said arms, rotary devices arranged above the wheels for gatherin broom corn stalks to the wheels, arche guides connected to and arranged at opposite sides of the main frame, rods carried by the outer portions of said arched guides and arranged to deflect broom corn stalks in toward the rotary gathering devices, rods also carried by the outer ortions of the arched guides and arrange to hold outer rows of broom corn stalks out of the reach of the rotary gathering devices, and a V-shaped separator carried by the inner portions of the upright guides and arranged at a height to enter between rows of broom-corn stalks and separate or divide the same incident to the progress of the machine.

6. The combination in a broom corn breaker and tabler, of a main frame, and a broom corn stalk gathering device comprising a rotary portion, rock-shafts journaled therein and having arms and also having trip-pieces, a curvilinear track fixed with respect to the frame and arranged to engage the trip pieces, and a stationary bar fixed to the frame and arranged to engage said trippieces after the same pass out of engagement with the curvilinear track.

7. The combination in a broom corn breaker and tabler, of a wheel-supported main frame, lateral arms extending therefrom, wheels mounted in the main frame and arranged to break broom-corn stalks against said lateral arms, arched guides connected to and arranged at opposite sides of the forward portion of the main frame and having the straight inwardly inclined rods and the outwardly bent rods at their outer ends, rotary stalk gathering devices mounted on the main frame in rear of said guides and above the breaking wheels and having arms and means for causing said arms to swing incident to the rotation of the devices, a V- shaped row separator carried by and extending forward from the guides at a height to enter between and divide rows of broomcorn stalks, and bars connected to and arranged at opposite sides of the frame at points above the breaking wheels.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM E. WELCH.

Witnesses:

JOHN L.'BENNETT, JOHN F. Vore'r, Jr. 

